You Belong to Me
by Restrictors
Summary: J'onn J'onzz is just beginning his life as a Manhunter on Mars. One night a girl named M'yri'ah catches his eye and they fall in love. Unfortunately for J'onn, her father D'all is set on marrying her off to someone else. Story is rated for romantic scenes. Prequel to Crisis on Two Earths: A Love Story. J'onnXM'yri'ah
1. Chapter 1

It was springtime and there was large festival in the city. Crowds of people were gathered, drinking, laughing and playing games.

J'onn J'onzz was among the throng, weaving his way around groups talking amongst themselves. He had only one person he wanted to catch before the night was over, and there he was. He caught sight of his twin brother.

Ma'alefa'ak was leaning up against a wall, drinking a cup of wine and trying to blend in with the crowd. His brother hadn't noticed him yet and J'onn planned to keep it that way until he could sneak up on him. When he got close enough he waited until Ma'alefa'ak lifted his glass to his lips before putting his finger on the base of his cup. He lifted his finger, tilting his glass so high his brother either had to drink faster or choke.

Ma'alefa'ak sputtered, spilling his wine down the front of him. "Damn it J'onn." He shoved him away. "You made me spill my drink." He huffed. It was a simple matter of brushing himself off. He was a Martian and didn't have to worry like most people about his clothes being ruined.

"I will get you another." J'onn laughed. "Why are you so upset? You have told me more than once that I should lighten up."

"So I have." Ma'alefa'ak did remember saying that to him now. His brother was so stuffy that it took him by surprise when he wasn't.

"It is good to see you Ma'alefa'ak." J'onn embraced his brother's startled frame.

"Long time no see." Ma'alefa'ak laughed a little as his brother embraced him heartily. He gave him a light pat on the back so he would let go of him.

"It has not been that long." J'onn didn't think that much time had passed since they saw each other last.

"It's been months." Ma'alefa'ak corrected. "That's a long time, at least long enough not to see you." He eyed the crowd distastefully. He'd much rather be indoors somewhere studying but his father insisted he come. "Do you want to go somewhere else to talk?"

"No, I like it here." He rather enjoyed all the commotion from the people around him. J'onn's brother might have the same face and voice as he did, but that was where the similarities stopped. J'onn had a bit of a wide eyed look to him. Still so innocent at how cruel the world could be. His brother on the other hand looked hardened, having already known since his birth how wretched others were. They wore the same clothing at their mother's request, but his brother had insisted on wearing all of his piercings. Little studs lined his right brow, his nose and ears were also highly decorated. J'onn watched Ma'alefa'ak's labret bob as he tongued the back from the inside of his mouth. "Mother will be mad at you for wearing those you know."

His brother made a disgusted sound as he crossed his arms. "J'onn, you act like I care what mother thinks of me. She lost the right to care about how I present myself since I was born."

J'onn nodded his understanding. He wished his brother and mother got along, but how could they really? She had practically cursed Ma'alefa'ak with an awful name and given her first born, J'onn, an almost blessed title. It stirred so much resentment between the two of them growing up that it was a miracle they even talked.

"These things are so boring." Ma'alefa'ak complained, swirling around what was left of his drink. "At least we are old enough to drink wine now so it makes it half tolerable."

J'onn didn't have a cup himself. He didn't really like the taste of it. He preferred sweet things like tea with cream and sugar to bitter alcohol. "Have you been working on anything recently?" His brother was a jack of all trades. He was a priest and a scientist, having not been able to decide between the two professions. He even dabbled with machinery at times.

Ma'alefa'ak's face seemed to brighten at his brother's question. "Well, yes." He went on about a prototype he had been working on, something about armor.

J'onn smiled at Ma'alefa'ak as he became more animated. He knew his brother liked to boast about his inventions and at least it seemed he was having fun now. As Ma'alefa'ak was wrapping up his run down of the week J'onn saw someone just beyond his brother's shoulder. There was that girl again, the one with the younger sister. He wished he had the courage to go over and speak with her. Suddenly someone was obstructing his view of her and he tried looking around them.

Ma'alefa'ak watched as his brother craned his neck around to look at something. "Are you even listening to me?" He hoped J'onn had been paying attention. "What are you looking at?"

Ma'alefa'ak, as antisocial as he was seemed to know everyone's name. He supposed it was a hazard of his job being a priest. J'onn wondered if he could tell him the girl's name he was interested in. "Do you the woman's name over there Ma'alefa'ak?" He gestured behind his brother.

Ma'alefa'ak turned his head to stare in the direction his brother was looking. There were dozens of girls near their age. All in colorful dresses. Why couldn't have J'onn been a little more specific? "Which one?"

J'onn practically dragged his brother cheek to cheek so they could look in the same place. "Her." He did all but point. "The pretty one in the pink dress."

Ma'alefa'ak looked and the only woman in a pink dress was a girl that was in his congregation. "M'yri'ah?" Ma'alefa'ak asked.

J'onn was happy he knew her name, he wondered if he could tell him anything else. "Do you know her?"

"She's been around during my services with her father D'all." Ma'alefa'ak was more curious about her now himself. He wondered if J'onn was interested in her? He thought he would just come out and ask. "Do you like her J'onn?"

"Well, she had caught my eye a few times." J'onn seemed embarrassed admitting it to him.

Ma'alefa'ak grinned at him. His brother was so innocent. "She has a bit of a reputation for being silly you know." He thought he would warn him, but mostly did it to pester him. "You wouldn't like M'yri'ah. Now, her older sister is very serious, a real robot like yourself. Now me and M'yri'ah on the other hand..."

"You are silly yourself." J'onn interrupted.

Ma'alefa'ak thought he understood. "Yes, exactly."

"And we get along fine." J'onn seemed to be pleased with his conclusion. "So M'yri'ah and I should as well."

"I guess." Ma'alefa'ak was rather disappointed that he hadn't gotten a rise out of his brother like he had wanted.

When their father M'yrnn approached they broke apart. "It makes me happy to see you boys getting along."

"We always get along father." J'onn said as his brother rolled his eyes behind him.

"What are you two doing?" M'yrnn eyed them. "Not getting into any trouble I hope?"

"J'onn has found the love of his life apparently." Ma'alefa'ak laughed.

J'onn stared at Ma'alefa'ak like he wanted him desperately to shut up for once.

"Is that so?" M'yrnn grinned just as broadly as his brother had earlier.

"No!" J'onn might have said a little too loudly. A few couples nearby who had been talking stopped to look at him before moving away.

M'yrnn ignored J'onn's outburst and looked where his boys were staring off to earlier. "Which one?"

"M'yri'ah." Ma'alefa'ak informed him, pointing at her rudely.

M'yrnn didn't reprimand him but he did push Ma'alefa'ak's hand back down to his side. "Oh, she is a pretty one. I can see why she caught your eye J'onn."

"I was telling J'onn I didn't think it would be a good match." Ma'alefa'ak informed him.

"Oh yes, she is a little silly for our J'onn I think." M'yrnn looked like he was considering their match.

"Do you both know her?" J'onn wondered why they seemed to know all about her and he didn't know anything at all.

"No, no." M'yrnn stopped himself when he realized how upset J'onn was getting at them. "She just has a reputation is all." Not that being silly was a bad thing, but she tended to tease her suitors to distraction. He didn't know how J'onn would deal with such a woman if he couldn't even take his brother's foolery.

J'onn's face was burning red. "I'm going to find mother. You and Ma'alefa'ak always tease me." Normally he didn't mind it so much but he was serious about this and he was embarrassed that they were tormenting him about it in a public setting.

"Oh J'onn." M'yrnn took ahold of his son's arm before he could make his escape. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light." He shooed Ma'alefa'ak away for a moment. "Ma'alefa'ak, go find your mother and embarrass her for a little while. I think I saw her with her chief earlier. They would probably love to see your tongue piercing."

Well, since he had their father's permission… "Yes father." Ma'alefa'ak made his exit, homing in on his mother by the signature of her mind.

Now that they were alone M'yrnn thought he would ask J'onn a few questions. "So have you spoken to her yet?"

"Well no." J'onn couldn't imagine approaching her. How would he even do such a thing?

M'yrnn wondered how J'onn felt when she was near. It would help him make a decision on whether to help him or not. "So do you only like her for the way she looks? You didn't seem to know her name."

"Well I did not know it before tonight." He admitted. "I do not know how to describe it." It was so hard to explain. "I feel like her mind is calling to me." He supposed that sounded silly. "When she thinks sometimes I can hear her when she is close by. Just little things. I think she can hear me too. She laughed at me the other day when I thought of something embarrassing."

His father looked on him warmly.

"What is it father?"

M'yrnn put his arm around his shoulder and was leading him away from M'yri'ah. J'onn tried to get a final glimpse of her before she was lost in the crowd. "J'onn, did I ever tell you about the first time I met your mother?"

J'onn finally turned his head back around to look at his father. M'yrnn had told him many times the story of him meeting his mother. He loved Sha'sheen very dearly. "Yes."

M'yrnn knew J'onn would need to know a few things and this wasn't the place to tell him near M'yri'ah. "Well, let me tell you when I first realized she was my mate..."

* * *

Sha'sheen came home late from the festival to see her husband at the sink washing the dishes from the day. She probably would have arrived earlier but she had to stay later to help some of the drunks home.

M'yrnn was brooding about tonight. He had spoken to D'all about J'onn's interest in M'yri'ah. He had only meant it as a warning for him to watch out for the two of them sneaking off. Despite how honorable his son might be, M'yrnn did worry about how young and naive J'onn was. His son was also very excited about starting a family even at such a young age and it might cause J'onn to do something rash.

D'all had not been happy to hear his warning at all. D'all told him with as rotten as he believed Ma'alefa'ak, he couldn't imagine his son J'onn was much better. The same thing that happened to Ma'alefa'ak was happening all over again to J'onn and he couldn't help but blame his wife.

M'yrnn and Sha'sheen had taken on very different roles than was tradition. Sha'sheen had been the provider while he had stayed home with their children and he was the homemaker. Maybe it was his large size but he was teased relentlessly for it. Some husbands called him a woman or when they asked J'onn or Ma'alefa'ak about M'yrnn they referred to him as their mother. He had never really cared about what others had to say about it, he loved raising his sons. He was also a respected member of the Martian Council so their words rarely fazed him.

It had hurt him deeply however when others rejected his youngest twin due to his name. He would often come home as a child and cry in his room. Now as an adult he hadn't been able to find even a prospect of a wife for Ma'alefa'ak. When his youngest twin son had been on a mission of goodwill he met a girl named L'cill. She was a White Martian and he had seemed to love and find her beautiful even though she was so much larger and different. Despite all odds she seemed to be interested in Ma'alefa'ak as well. When M'yrnn approached L'cill's father to make an arrangement, he had he sent her away off planet just to get her away from him.

He blamed Sha'sheen for his children's misfortunes but heaven help him, but he still loved her anyway. Speaking of which... Sha'sheen had been leaning on the doorframe until he caught sight of her. "Hello my love." M'yrnn called to her.

"Hello yourself." She countered. "I suppose I have you to thank for Ma'alefa'ak stopping by work tonight?"

"Of course." M'yrnn said innocently. "I thought you might like to see him."

She gave him a look but said nothing more on the matter. "Is J'onn really gone?" She couldn't sense him in the house.

"Yes, he finished moving out this afternoon." M'yrnn dried his hands.

The house was quiet. She remembered coming home when her children were young and there would be a riot of sounds. "Both of our boys are gone." Sha'sheen said mournfully, walking towards her husband.

"Of course they are." M'yrnn nodded. "If they are to have any hope at all they needed to get away from their insane parents." He embraced his wife as she came near.

"Oh M'yrnn." She rested her cheek on his chest. "I'm sorry for all that I've put you through."

When the boys had been born M'yrnn had been so frustrated with Sha'sheen. When she had first been pregnant she had told him she would allow him to name the second twin. Women normally named their children so it was an unusual offer but one he was excited for. If it had been a boy he wanted to name him after himself. If it was a girl he thought to name her after his mother K'hym. Instead when he was born Sha'sheen had overridden him and decided to name him the horrid name Ma'alefa'ak. M'yrnn had been flabbergasted. He remembered asking her sarcastically if she couldn't have gone with something kinder like Murder or Thief? Their marriage had been so tested after that that it just barely survived. "I know Sha'sheen. I've already forgiven you."

"Are you still planning your trip away with Ma'alefa'ak?" Sha'sheen asked. M'yrnn was going to leave in a few days time to the planet of Apokolips. Darkseid's emissaries had made contact with the Martians, seemingly interested in learning more about their society and their great knowledge. The Martians were naive and not yet aware of what evils existed on that planet, however Sha'sheen had an inkling suspicion.

"I'm afraid so." He pulled away from her. He was tired and needed to rest. "I think it will do us some good. We've kept ourselves so isolated from the rest of the universe. We really should try to learn new things outside of our own experience." As he walked to their room he heard her stepping closely behind him.

"I have such a bad feeling that if you go I'll never see you again." Sha'sheen worried.

"Really Sha'sheen," M'yrnn sighed, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "that can't be your answer to everything."

Sha'sheen didn't want to fight with him before he left. She didn't know if she could live with herself if she did. "I know." She crawled next to him as he laid down. It had been such a long day for the both of them. "I'll just miss you when you are gone."

"And I you." He sighed when she rested against him. He suddenly had a lot of energy. "You know... we have the house all to ourselves."

Sha'sheen laughed at the impish grin spreading across his face. "Oh, M'yrnn!"

* * *

 **Author's notes: Yet another Manhunter fic I'm writing. You would think I'd be sick of them by now. I thought it might be fun to tackle a story of when he was younger. It started out as flashbacks in my Crisis Story and my sequel (still not sure on the title). The flashbacks were getting so long and elaborate I thought: what the hell? I'm writing a before fiction.** **So here it is.**

 **At first I was going to have all the ugly bits in the story with Ma'alefa'ak - but I thought… you know what would be refreshing? Not writing about when he goes completely crazy. So while there will be plenty of drama this story will be pretty tame and sweet in comparison to my other stories. The only reason it's rated M is for the obligatory love scene I can't keep myself from writing.**


	2. Chapter 2

In the weeks since J'onn's father and brother's trip to Apokolips they hadn't returned or even sent word that they had arrived safely. One day Darkseid had sent forces on a surprise attack against Mars. They had raided several schools, taking mostly children and their caretakers. They also stole away the Martian Council members, the entire governing body over Mars. J'onn's father had been a member of the council himself.

After the first attacks they were ready for them. Martians were a race of very able bodied individuals. Some were stronger than others of course but they were all near invulnerable if they had been trained to use their shape shifting abilities correctly.

Darkseid's emissaries had apparently wanted the children for experiments and the older generation for their great wealth of information.

While the Martians were now better able to repel attacks against Apokolips that still didn't take care of the people who were already missing. Mars had large advancements in science but nothing like that of Apokolips and their boom tube technology. They had no way of traveling from Mars and back to rescue the captives.

J'onn wasn't one to take such things sitting down. He and his mother devised a plan and succeeded in capturing one of the smaller ships in the fleet when Apokolips attacked them the second time. They had hoped to use it to steal back their people. They took turns rather than going together, covertly grabbing up handfuls of Martians at a time and then returning them to their families.

They had found most of the council members save one: his father. His brother was also still missing as well as a few dozen children. Sha'sheen and J'onn were nearing the end of their mission. He hoped that today he would be making the last trip himself. These rescue missions were starting to get rough. The fewer Martians there were on Apokolips the better they were guarded. Sha'sheen warned him that she had almost been caught the last time she made the trip.

J'onn landed the ship on top of the building he was going to break into. Martian technology had been added to cloak the ship and make it nearly invisible. He took a deep breath and left the ship, density shifting until his body lowered through the floor to enter the labyrinth of hallways. His mother had gotten word that M'yrnn and Ma'alefa'ak had been kept in one of the topmost floors for questioning. After several false tries he finally found the room. Unfortunately what he saw wasn't something he had hoped to see. M'yrnn was on the floor propped against a large holding canister with a hole the size of a fist in his chest. From the ties on his wrists it looked like he had made an escape but was unfortunately caught. J'onn knelt down next to him wondering how long he had been down here, wondering what he had endured the last few weeks.

J'onn let a sob escape his throat as he clutched his father's lifeless body to him. He was so cold and pale. For as long as he lived he would never forgive this. He swore he would rescue every last Martian from this horrid place even if it killed him. He took in a steadying breath and prepared himself for what he needed to do next. He didn't have time to mourn M'yrnn any longer. He needed to leave his father's body and try to find survivors. It's what he would have wanted. Now that he thought of it, he wondered now why his father had been in this pod in particular. J'onn looked inside the porthole and saw a Martian face. "Ma'alefa'ak." J'onn pulled the hatch open on the canister and Ma'alefa'ak fell like a dead weight onto the floor next to their father. J'onn kneeled down next to him, cursing himself for not catching him. "Ma'alefa'ak are you alright?" He flipped his brother onto his back. He looked so pale he thought he was dead too.

Ma'alefa'ak's eyes cracked open and looked in the direction of his brother's voice. He looked positively delirious. "J'onn?"

J'onn gathered him up him up into his arms. "Do not worry brother, I have you now."

Ma'alefa'ak glanced over from his place on the floor and saw their father's body. "Oh, father." He was so distraught he covered his face with his hands. "I didn't mean for him to die."

J'onn wasn't sure what he meant but he knew he needed to get him out of here. When he stood up with Ma'alefa'ak, his brother seemed to be able to stand under his own weight. He should try being quieter as to not alert anyone of their presence. _"Do you think you can escape on your own?"_

Ma'alefa'ak flinched when J'onn spoke to him in his mind. "My head hurts."

"Sorry." J'onn whispered, again supporting his brother's weight. When Ma'alefa'ak recovered he asked again out loud. "Do you think you can escape here without me?" It would be a great help if he could considering he would have to make another trip if he had to carry a full grown man. "It's just down the hall and up the stairs." J'onn pointed in the direction he would need to travel. "Wait with the ship until I return."

"Yes, I think I can." Ma'alefa'ak nodded, also whispering. "I'll be on my way."

J'onn watched as Ma'alefa'ak went invisible and heard his brother make his way out of the room. He felt he might regret letting him go by himself, but he really needed to be on his way himself.

J'onn made his way to the lower levels and saw something he didn't think he would see. He might not have caught it if he didn't have his head turned just right, but he saw a shadow of someone against the wall but without a figure in front of it. They were simply camouflaged rather than having their density shifted like him so he would leave no trace of his presence. He noticed that rather than sneaking they were walking around upright. He wondered if it was a guard with similar abilities to his own, waiting for him to fall into their trap. Or maybe they had found some way to cloak themselves. He needed to see what he was dealing with. If this one could become invisible because of some technology he needed to be prepared for it on his way to rescue the children.

He heard whispering coming from whoever it was along the wall. He couldn't so much hear a voice as feel their worry about being found out. They wouldn't have to wait much longer.

As soon as he laid his hands on her he regretted it. He knew he should have tried to knock her out or covered her mouth right away. Her body became instantly visible when she lost concentration. It took her a moment to process that she had been caught but when she did she let out the beginnings of a shrill scream.

 _"_ _No!"_ She wrenched her hand away from him and began kicking at him. He pushed her into the wall and quickly covered her mouth, trying to silence her before he was caught.

Oh God… it was a Martian woman. She must have been one of the captives. He became visible himself to show her she wasn't in any danger from him. _"Be quiet or you will bring the whole place down on us."_ He spoke to her mind. She calmed down instantly when she recognized him. Just then he recognized her too. He released her mouth and took a step back. _"M'yri'ah?"_ He couldn't believe she was here. She wasn't even on his list of the missing.

She was so relieved to finally see someone she knew. _"Oh, J'onn. I was so frightened."_ She practically threw herself into his arms.

She knew his name? His brain felt like it shorted out for a moment, which wasn't a good thing considering their situation. _"What are you doing here?"_ J'onn asked, cautiously putting his arms around her.

 _"_ _I was trying to find my sister."_ M'yri'ah hadn't released him from her hold yet. _"They attacked our town and we got separated. When they captured her I snuck aboard their ship to rescue her."_ She tried so desperately to get her little sister out before the jumped off planet, but before she could find her onboard they were already long gone through a boom tube and offloading them on to Apokolips. _"I'm so lost. I don't know where she is."_ She would never forgive herself if she was hurt because she couldn't find her in time.

 _"_ _Don't worry M'yri'ah. We will find her."_ J'onn assured her. _"I've gotten almost everyone out now. There are only a few still missing."_

 _"_ _Really?"_ M'yri'ah stepped away from him and he felt like he could think once more. _"Thank goodness."_

 _"I'm actually glad you are here. You can help me find the children."_ She seemed more capable of helping him than his brother had been. She could help him carry some of the children if they needed it. _"Come with me and be quiet."_

M'yri'ah nodded, going invisible and following after him.

It didn't take him long to find where the children were being stored. There was a large metal chamber suspended on stilts in the middle of a large open room. There were catwalks going up where one could keep an eye on their surroundings. There were so many guards swarming the place, more than he thought he could handle on his own. He really should have brought his mother this time. _"M'yri'ah."_ He called to her in his mind.

 _"Yes J'onn?"_ M'yri'ah was also eyeing the amazing amount of personnel clogging the walkways and halls.

 _"I need you to help me."_ He hoped she was up for it. _"Do you think you can do that?"_

"Yes." She was sure she could help. She would do anything to get her sister back. _"Just tell me what you need me to do."_

 _"I need you to density shift and sneak behind the guards. When they are away from everyone else you are going to push your hand through their back and become partially tangible. When you do that you will short out their nervous system and they will pass out. You will need to move them to the shadows so they won't alert the others."_ He thought he should warn her. _"If you become completely tangible you might kill them so be careful."_

That sounded awful even if she didn't accidentally kill them. _"Won't that hurt them?"_

He didn't want to lie. _"Very much."_

She wasn't so sure of herself now.

 _"M'yri'ah you cannot hesitate. These are not good people."_ She had been here for weeks. She must have seen the awful things they did to each other. They thought nothing of killing their own kind. _"They will kill you if are caught. Once you take hold of one do not let them go until they pass out."_

M'yri'ah took a calming breath. She had to do this and she had to do it right. _"Okay."_

 _"_ _We shall meet at the top of the tower. Please do not become visible again until I do."_

 _"_ _Alright, I won't."_ She agreed.

It took them a while to do it right, following guards around and knocking them out. J'onn tried to take on the more difficult route. Not that there seemed to be much of an easy route to take. His arm was elbow deep in the captain of the guard right before he sent out a transmission to ask where everyone had gone. J'onn didn't know how much time they would have until someone was alerted of their presence. They needed to move quickly. He picked up the captain's unconscious form and flew to the top of the walkway. _"The room is clear."_ He called to M'yri'ah, showing himself.

M'yri'ah was close by as she became visible once more. _"I cannot believe I did that."_ She practically whooped in his mind. _"Did you see?"_

He had seen a number of guards drop because of her. _"Yes I did."_ J'onn couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. _"Now let us rescue the survivors before more guards come down here and realize something is amiss."_ J'onn took hold of the head guard's hand and placed it on the scanner for the door. He could copy him down to a cellular level but he didn't want to take any chances if the scanners could tell the difference or not.

The door snapped open and they heard frightened gasps and shuffling.

M'yri'ah was the first to run inside, hoping to find her sister. She looked at the dozen or so children. They rushed against her and J'onn, crying and wanting to go home. They were all around her sister's age, but none of them were her. "Oh." She felt hot tears welling up in the back of her eyes.

 _"_ _I am sorry M'yri'ah."_ J'onn spoke to her in her mind again. _"We need to go now but I will come back for her."_

 _"_ _I can't leave without her."_ M'yri'ah looked up at him, horrified at the thought. Then she looked quite determined on her next course of action. _"I'll stay until you return. I'll try to find her myself."_

J'onn couldn't believe his ears. _"M'yri'ah."_ He said patiently. _"This place is not safe. You need to come with me and the children to the transport."_ He needed her to reason this through. _"It will delay me rescuing your sister if you are captured."_ He looked at the other children who were frightened. _"And I need your help to get these children to safety."_

M'yri'ah didn't want to leave without her sister but she could see his point. She needed to leave. J'onn took her hand and they made a chain of sorts between the two of them using their shifting ability. J'onn told the children to grab on and they would see them to safety. They were too young to become transparent or density shift so they would need to hold onto the adults to be able to do so, if needed. It didn't take long once all the children grabbed hold. They flew up and up, through the floors and ceilings until they were on the rooftop.

When they arrived they saw something quite surprising. Ma'alefa'ak was resting against the ship waiting for J'onn to return and with him he had a small bundle. A Martian child was sleeping soundly in his arms.

M'yri'ah rushed over to him, recognizing her sister right away. "You found her." M'yri'ah tried to keep her voice quiet but she was so happy to see her sister. Ma'alefa'ak handed the girl to M'yri'ah. After a few moments to marvel at her little face M'yri'ah embraced Ma'alefa'ak. "Thank you so much for rescuing her. I don't know what I would do without her."

A slow grin moved across Ma'alefa'ak's lips. He glanced up at J'onn's stunned face before he wrapped his arms around M'yri'ah in a tight hug. "It was nothing. I found her wandering the halls."

J'onn found that difficult to believe. She couldn't have just escaped that room the children were being held in. It was almost as if he planned being found here with M'yri'ah's sister. Once J'onn realized how ridiculous that sounded he pushed such thoughts from his head. He shouldn't doubt his brother at a time like this. He was probably just letting his jealousy cloud his mind. Besides, they needed to leave. He cleared his throat and M'yri'ah stepped away from his brother. "We need to go now or we will be caught."

The three of them shepherded the children into the ship quickly. After they were on board M'yri'ah and Ma'alefa'ak were in the back securing each child to a chair while J'onn prepared the ship to leave. When they were finished he cloaked the ship and sightless, shot into the air and out of the atmosphere. J'onn pressed a button on the panel and a boom tube opened and swallowed the ship. When they emerged near Mars J'onn let out a breath of air, allowing him to relax. Everyone was safe. He only hoped he would never have to go to that horrid place again.

He both heard and felt Ma'alefa'ak come into the cockpit. He sat beside him in the copilot seat. J'onn wanted to ask him so many things. Why was he taken? What did they do to him? But he was crying in a mixture of sadness and relief. How could he question him at a time like this?

"Oh father." Ma'alefa'ak's head was in his hands. He managed to keep himself in check until he was away from everyone else but now that he was alone with J'onn he cried. He was both sad and afraid. He was sad for their father's violent passing and also afraid for what would happen to him when he returned to Mars.

He had been tortured yes, but it seemed like they had done it just for the fun of it rather than for information like they his father. Instead, weakened Ma'alefa'ak had been brought before Darkseid so he could speak with him privately. He was sat in a comfortable chair and was confused when Darkseid spoke to him. He mostly asked him about his life on Mars. He wanted to know all of his experiences. Ma'alefa'ak offered him all the information freely, having nothing to hide. He was very different than the others. He had no happy stories to tell, most of them stemming from him odd name, Ma'alefa'ak. Even as a child he was made into either bogyman to frighten children or a gremlin to blame when something went horribly wrong.

Darkseid asked if he might work for him. He didn't offer him comforts but there on Apokolips everyone was equally hated. He could be his spy, his eyes and ears on Mars. Ma'alefa'ak hadn't wanted to say yes, but he was afraid to say no either. Darkseid told him he didn't need to hear his answer now because he was sure in a few days time he would be more than willing to accept his offer. His own people were so mistrustful of him they would surely find some way to blame him for his people's abduction.

Ma'alefa'ak thought it was ridiculous of course. He was on Apokolips the whole time being tormented right along with his father. They couldn't possibly blame him, could they? But the closer they came to their home planet the more worried he became. If only his father were alive, he knew he would defend him. He could tell them what he had gone through.

"Ma'alefa'ak, are you alright?" J'onn asked. Ma'alefa'ak had gone so quiet and it worried him.

His brother's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Of course I'm not." He decided to tell J'onn about their father rather than voice his concerns about Darkseid, only thinking they would make him suspicious. "I went back for his body. I couldn't just leave him there. That's when I found the girl. She must have gotten out of one of the canisters."

Ah, so that was how he found her. Maybe the girl was about to be used in an experiment or even about to be tortured. Thank goodness Ma'alefa'ak had gone back or they might have never found her. "You are that girl's hero. I doubt she will ever forget what you did for her."

"Hm." Ma'alefa'ak sounded like he really didn't care. "I just wish... I wish father hadn't died."

J'onn didn't know what to say to comfort him. There were really no words that were adequate but he would give it a try. "I cannot believe he is gone."

When J'onn said that, it seems to open the floodgates. "And yet our mother lives." Ma'alefa'ak said bitterly between sobs. "Why couldn't it have been her instead?"

J'onn wanted to tell him off for saying such a horrible thing, but he knew grief did awful things to a person so he remained silent.

They said nothing more to one another and it was quiet on their short ride home. When they arrived on Mars happy parents came to gather up their children. The members of the Martian Council were there as well. When they found out M'yrnn had died they offered their condolences to J'onn and Ma'alefa'ak. Afterwards they waited while the parents of each child thanked J'onn for rescuing them. They simply would not leave without doing so.

"Thank you for bringing my troublesome daughters home." D'all was among the parents to pick up M'yri'ah and her little sister. He scolded M'yri'ah terribly for running off like she had and how she could have been killed but he was so happy to see her and her sister alive that it was short lived. "Let's go home my dear. Your mother will want to celebrate her two youngest daughters coming home."

M'yri'ah cast one final glance at J'onn before she was led away. "Thank you." She mouthed at him.

J'onn tried to suppress the smile spreading across his face but found that he was unable to do so. Only when he saw M'yri'ah's father's scowl did he remember himself and push it down.

"It looks like you are a hero." Ma'alefa'ak tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice but failed.

"M'yri'ah seems to think you are a hero for finding her sister." J'onn offered.

"I suppose." Ma'alefa'ak started to feel an inkling of hope he would be able to return home unscathed. "I suppose it was nice to be thanked for once."

J'onn clapped him on the back fondly. "There you are."

After the last family spoke to J'onn, the Martian Council members who had stood back to watch finally came forward. He wondered what they wanted from him.

A woman council member came forward. "We need to see your brother."

J'onn looked at Ma'alefa'ak. He wondered why they addressed him and not Ma'alefa'ak directly. "But why?"

"We are suspicious of him. There are a few things that need clarifying. We are only going to question him, so you needn't worry about us causing him any harm."

J'onn couldn't believe this. "But he was captured. He could not have done anything." He looked over at his brother again. He was still injured from being tortured and their father had just died. "He is a victim. You cannot do this to him. At least give him a couple days to recover."

"We are sorry J'onn, but we must." The woman looked at Ma'alefa'ak then. "We'll ask that you bring him to our hall for questioning."

Ma'alefa'ak felt such bitterness rise up in his heart. "You don't need to speak about me as if I'm not here." He spat, fuming at them. "And you don't need my brother to haul me into your chambers. I'll gladly go with you." Rather than circle around he pushed through them angrily. "Hurry up. We need to get this over with so I can go home and bury my father."

J'onn shook his head, dismayed as they watched the council file after Ma'alefa'ak's retreating form. As if his brother hadn't hated their society enough. This would just add more fuel to the fire.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Hope you are enjoying the story so far. I'm having a lot of fun writing about J'onn and Ma'alefa'ak interacting with each other without beating each other senseless. It's a lot of fun.**

 **Ma'alefa'ak is awful – if you read his bio he's pretty much a horrible genocidal rape monster. I still can't get over his name though. I know all the bad guys have some sith lord like names but I think his was the first time I heard one being given to him specifically because his mom thought he was going to turn out bad. She said something along the lines of she wanted to warn him and others about what he would become. My husband and I had a discussion about it – thinking what the heck that was all about. Why would someone do that to their kid? It is sort of like creating a self-fulfilling prophesy.**

 **I would like to try my hand at writing about him again though. It was lots of fun in my first story Grief. He's so damn evil the sky is the limit really. I was actually going to have him appear in the sequel but I scrapped it. I'll have to figure something else out now.**


	3. Chapter 3

J'onn was taking a break from his work to think about his brother. In the weeks since Ma'alefa'ak's return he had only become surlier. He could hardly blame him. After J'onn brought him back Ma'alefa'ak complained that his head ached terribly. The council members refused to let him be questioned out loud, only exacerbating his head ache to the point he was crying at the end of their interview. Ma'alefa'ak said it was like being tortured all over again. He told J'onn he wished he had left him there to die with his father rather than be put through that.

Since that day Ma'alefa'ak continued to get headaches when others spoke to his mind. J'onn supposed he was just injured and would recover soon. In the meantime he didn't mind speaking to Ma'alefa'ak out loud. He would see him tonight for dinner at their mother's house. While his brother might be angry he was still happy to see him. After what happened to their father it was a miracle he was even alive.

In the meantime he had a lot of work to do. While Martians could remember a great deal and shouldn't need so much written information, they were a bureaucratic bunch at heart. He had to fill out the paperwork for each and every Martian that came back from Apokolips. As he finished he would put folder after folder on the edge of his desk and a clerk would sweep by every so often to go file it.

One of his fellow Manhunters, his partner, was across from him and was busy writing too but he didn't have nearly the impressive stack J'onn had to the side of him. "You know, I'm sure one of the secretaries would help you with all that if you asked." As he spoke he stood up and stretched for a moment.

"No, I don't mind." J'onn replied, only looking up to spare him a glance. It was tedious work but it was kind of fun closing each case out with a happy conclusion. He still had dozens to go but he hardly minded.

"Suit yourself." His partner seemed to notice someone arriving at the precinct and made his way to them. It didn't take long for him to return. "There is a girl here to see you J'onn." He announced.

"Hm?" J'onn looked up and saw M'yri'ah standing right in front of his desk.

M'yri'ah was wearing her public face and it was quite lovely. Today she had long black hair that hung like a curtain below her waist. Up until few years ago women and men usually were bald but it seemed to be a trend now since discovering hairstyles that women now wore hair like human females. Not everyone did of course, thinking it looked unsettling but M'yri'ah looked pretty with it, at least he thought so. When he had seen her before she also had gone for a bald look but he liked this too.

"Hello J'onn." She said familiarly.

"Oh." J'onn realized he had been staring and hadn't said anything. He stood up so abruptly M'yri'ah backed up away from him.

The suddenness of his actions made his partner laugh and walk away. He would let J'onn make a fool of himself in private.

Once she recovered from him practically jumping at her she asked, "Well, do you recognize me?" She knew she looked a little different today than he was used to.

"Of course." J'onn was happy to see her. "You are M'yri'ah."

She seemed pleased that he remembered her. "I wanted to come down here to thank you."

He was so flustered at seeing her he blurted, "Well, thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" She smiled at how awkward he was being. It was rather humorous to see the effect she had on him. When they were on Apokolips he wasn't nearly so nervous around her and he had always been so serious before that even.

J'onn really didn't know what to make of himself. "For coming down to thank me?" He guessed before thinking to apologize. "I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this. You caught me off guard."

"Well, let's start again." M'yri'ah said, hoping it would make him feel better. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"You are welcome." He answered properly this time.

"And also to thank you," M'yri'ah began. "I was wondering if you might like to eat lunch with me today. I will take you of course."

J'onn couldn't believe his luck. He was agonizing on how he was even going to meet with her to ask her somewhere and she was showing up at his work. "I'd like that."

* * *

J'onn was glad that M'yri'ah was quite the talker. He didn't even have to worry about awkward silences when she was busy asking him questions and telling him about the latest gossip around town.

"How is your brother doing?" M'yri'ah asked him. "I told my little sister I would ask. She is quite taken with him." She had thought it was so adorable the way she fawned over the man, being such a little thing. She wondered if she would feel the same once she was older.

"She might be a little young for him, wouldn't you agree?" J'onn took a drink from his cup.

"Oh J'onn," M'yri'ah laughed, his voice was so dry she didn't realize he was teasing her. "She's just a little girl with big dreams. She thinks she would like to marry her hero one day." Speaking of which, "You know, I overheard my father speak to yours on the day of the spring festival a few months back." She had been eavesdropping actually.

That startled him. "Oh?" He had no idea his father had spoken to D'all. That was when he told his father and brother he had been interested in M'yri'ah.

She played with her hands on the table as she gathered her courage to say what she wanted to next. "He said you thought you were my mate."

J'onn's face went red with embarrassment. If his father were still alive he would have liked to kill him right about now. "I see."

"Oh no." M'yri'ah soothed him, noticing how upset he looked. "I thought you were too. I've noticed you around before that day. When I asked my mother about it she seemed to think so too." She decided to leave out the part where her mother thought it would never work. She said J'onn was far too serious for a girl like her. Not to mention her father wasn't too keen on the idea for his own reasons.

J'onn wasn't sure what to say to her. He opened his mouth several times but nothing was coming out.

"I know this is a bit forward." She took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't reject her. "But would you like to start seeing each other?"

J'onn nodded dumbly.

"I'm so glad." M'yri'ah sighed in relief, slumping back into her chair. "I was worried you were going to say no."

J'onn finally found his voice again. "Why would I do that?"

"I have a reputation for acting like a fool." M'yri'ah answered honestly. "Not many boys want to be seen with me." She liked to play around sometimes but when she was nervous it only got worse. It was pretty embarrassing.

He was in a way, glad for that. "So I've heard." J'onn looked at her warmly. "It will take a lot more than that to scare me off."

M'yri'ah only smiled at him in a dreamy sort of way until their waiter dropped their check at the table. J'onn reached for it.

She came back to reality when she saw him reach across the table. "No." She slapped his hand. "I told you I was taking you out." She smiled at him. "Next time you can pay."

He was already planning their next meeting in the back of his head. "Of course."

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry for the pitifully short chapter. I'm so used to at least having seven pages but I didn't want to stretch it any further than I already have. I was thinking of keeping it attached to chapter 2 or even 4 for length but I think the little date scene needed to stand on its own.**

 **I never thought to put hair on M'yri'ah back on Mars until I saw a comic from Young Justice where M'gann is talking about the different races of Martians. There is this little scene where Martians are out shopping and I thought it was kind of funny how the boys were all bald and the girls all wore hair on their head. I know YJ is set in modern times rather than the past but I thought I'd put that in there anyway.**

 **I just finished the second comic for "Day in My Life" for Martian Manhunter yesterday. I realized I made M'yri'ah actually suck compared to what she really did on Apokolips. She was in there snatching kids out of there like a champ before J'onn showed up.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: This chapter contains sexual content.**

* * *

J'onn was sitting on a bench waiting for M'yri'ah. She was running late today. It wasn't like her. Usually she was waiting on him to arrive. He picked up a leaf off the ground and twisted it between his fingers. It was one of his rare days off and they had planned to picnic in the park and spend the rest of afternoon together.

How many times had they seen each other? He lost count. They hadn't been together long but he was already starting to get impatient for their life to start together as husband and wife. She said she needed more time for her father to get used to the idea of her getting married. He hoped it would be soon. "M'yri'ah." He turned around, already sensing her near.

"J'onn." She greeted. When he stood up she motioned for him to sit back down on the bench with her. She placed the basket with their lunch down beside her. "I'm so happy to see you again."

The way she said it, it sounded like he had been gone for years. "It hasn't been that long." Although he felt the same, he missed her when she was away. "It has just been a few days."

"When I'm away from you it feels like an eternity."

He knew how that felt. "How are your father and mother?" J'onn wondered.

"Fine." M'yri'ah answered in an odd tone. He wasn't sure what to make of how she said it. She recovered before he could question her. "How is your mother?"

"She is well."

"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way," she spoke excitedly. "I've spoken to my father about finding a husband. I've not mentioned you yet." J'onn already knew M'yri'ah was trying to warm him up to the idea first before she mentioned any names. Her not mentioning him sooner had nothing to do with her not loving him, but because children didn't normally talk about their significant others with their parents until they were ready to make a commitment. "But he seemed agreeable. I'm going to ask him about you tonight."

She seemed so positive he couldn't help but feel hopeful. "That is good news."

M'yri'ah couldn't wait to hear what he had to say. "Have you spoken to your mother yet?"

"Well no, I have not spoken to her." J'onn tried to explain he hadn't forgotten. "I do not have the same relationship with her as you do with your father. She will agree. I know she will. I just don't want her to rush to your house and upset your father until you have had a chance to speak with him yourself."

M'yri'ah understood what he meant. If his mother went over halfcocked before she could ask, then her father was sure to say no. "I cannot wait until we are married and I can see you every night when you come home." She was too busy dreaming about her prospective marriage to J'onn to dwell on her father for long. "I hate having to be away from you."

"I feel the same." J'onn wouldn't mind seeing her every night either. A wicked thought went through his mind before he could crush it. He knew she must have felt it too since she blushed and glanced away. M'yri'ah was kind to him this time, deciding to be polite and not mention instead of teasing him.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you still live with your mother?" It wasn't unusual for children to live with their parents until they were married. She was still living with her family after all. However, before they were married, they would need to get their own place to start a family of their own. M'yri'ah had never mentioned it before today because she didn't know how forward it would sound. Now that they were talking about marriage it was something she felt she needed to bring up.

"No. I have my own home. I moved out recently." He had moved just before father died, J'onn thought sadly.

M'yri'ah almost couldn't imagine doing something like that, but then again J'onn's family wasn't too much like her own. Her father was quite old and was very traditional. If she had tried to move out before she was married he might have had a fit. "I think I'd like to see it sometime. Your home I mean."

"Well, you will soon enough." Then J'onn had an idea. "Would you like to see it now?"

Go to his home? She couldn't believe he was offering. "Really, you wouldn't mind showing me?" Then she realized how stupid she was being. "Oh, you meant to show me in your mind." She felt disappointed at that, but she would be more than happy to see it from his perspective too.

"Well, no." J'onn hadn't thought to show her his home in his thoughts, but it would have probably made her feel more comfortable. It definitely would be more proper. "I meant for you to go with me, but I would not mind showing you-"

"No." She interrupted, standing up quickly and grabbing her basket. "I would love to see it. Would you take me?"

"Of course," J'onn was happy at how eager she was to go with him. He couldn't wait to show her his home… well, their home soon enough. It was one thing to be in his house alone, spinning plans for an unknown future. It was another entirely to bring the woman he wanted to spend his life with to share her opinions on the matter.

Hand in hand they walked to his house, chatting along the way. When they came to a stop M'yri'ah looked upward. "Is this your home?" She had to crane her neck to see it. Like most houses, this building was narrow and tall.

J'onn couldn't believe how quickly they arrived. "Yes, this is it."

"It has a balcony." She was excited to see it.

He hated to let her down but he wanted to explain before they headed up. "It is right off the master bedroom."

"Oh." That was disappointing, at least for now. She shouldn't go into his bedroom. "I suppose I won't be seeing it today then."

"It is probably for the best." J'onn nodded. "Do you still want to go inside?" He thought he would give her an out in case she felt uncomfortable. "We could go for a walk instead and then eat lunch."

"No, I would like to see inside." M'yri'ah insisted. "I wouldn't mind eating our lunch on a table instead of the ground."

"Let us go in then." He pressed his hand on the door lock and it opened for him. J'onn was thankful that no one was near his house to see them enter. He felt a little sneaky, sweeping M'yri'ah away for a few moments of privacy. They decided to first eat lunch in the dining room before he took her to see the rest of the house.

He was eager to show her around his home. It was such an odd feeling, almost one of elation. His mother would say he was nesting, whatever that meant. He took her to all the other bedrooms except his own. He considered showing it to her anyway, since she had wanted to see the balcony but he thought maybe it would be too forward of him.

"You have a large house." M'yri'ah's own home was bigger than this, but the number of rooms seemed excessive for J'onn's purposes.

"I want a large family." J'onn said quietly.

"Oh." She found herself blushing and she wasn't sure why.

"Unless you don't want a large family," J'onn added quickly. "I suppose I have always wanted one, since it was just my brother and me." Martian families tended to be small given how long they lived but some families were big like M'yri'ah's. She had three sisters. They seemed to be an anomaly. He didn't mind if he didn't however, he simply wanted to be a father.

"I want a large family too." When she looked up into J'onn's eyes he seemed to be pleased with her reply. M'yri'ah hadn't expected to have this conversation with him so soon. They had only started seeing each other less than a year ago. Although she supposed it was perfect timing since they would be wed soon. Martians didn't usually date very long or have drawn out engagements. When they could read each other's mind it made getting to know one another quite fast and easy. They could tell in a few months if they would get along depending on how quickly they shared their life with their partner.

"Would you like to sit with me in the den?" J'onn wondered. Now that they were done with the tour he found that he didn't want to leave quite yet. "I can make us some tea."

"That would be nice." Rather than wait in the living area she went with him to the kitchen and watched him make tea for the two of them. She was amused when he put cream and sugar in his drink. She took her cup plain.

He took her back into the den where he had several large chairs in a circle. The chairs were round and had no backs to them. They were so low down to the ground it was sort of like sitting on a floor cushion. She forgot where she was for a moment, putting her tea down on the floor and laid back against the cushion. Her legs hung off the side, but if she wiggled up it was almost large enough to accommodate her frame. When J'onn cleared his throat she sat right back up again. "Sorry."

"It is alright M'yri'ah." J'onn was happy that she felt comfortable in his home. He just didn't know if he wanted to see her lying down in front of him just yet. He might forget himself.

M'yri'ah retrieved her tea from the floor and was blowing into her cup, waiting for it to cool down before she drank it. When she looked up she saw that J'onn sat on a chair opposite of her, seemingly as far away from her as possible. "Why are you sitting all the way over there?" The way he seemed afraid of her at times was so amusing that she couldn't resist teasing him. "Are you afraid I might bite you?"

"Well, no." J'onn looked uncomfortable as he placed his mug on a side table.

"Do I smell bad?" She did her best not to grin at him.

He looked at her quizzically before looking away. "What? No." What was she doing? "You smell nice."

When she saw his whole face flush she felt guilty. "I'm only teasing you J'onn." M'yri'ah tittered. "I'm sorry. I tend to joke around a lot. I can try to learn not to if you don't like it."

"Oh no, it's alright." J'onn realized how sensitive he was being. He should be used to it by now. "My brother teases me also. I am just not used to a girl doing it to me." He also wasn't used to feeling so flustered either. M'yri'ah had such a strange effect on him.

"Do you have many girls, J'onn?" M'yri'ah wasn't able to stop herself.

This time at least he was ready for her. "Maybe."

M'yri'ah felt a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Oh I see. I suppose I am one of many who you've dragged through your nest with promises of marriage?"

"Oh no, only you my love," J'onn was starting to smile himself.

"Is that so?" M'yri'ah was sitting on the edge of her chair now, "How lucky for me."

He felt he must have lost his mind for what he said next. "If you are feeling so lucky, why not come and sit next to me?" J'onn patted on the cushion beside him. " _Maybe_ I will not bite you."

"Oh." She said no more to that, not wanting to escalate their conversation any further.

J'onn thought maybe he had gone too far. "I am sorry."

"Oh no," M'yri'ah laughed, "I started it after all."

What happened next surprised him. She stood up and sat next to him on his chair so close that their knees touched. He felt a shock go through him and his knee twitched away from her. When he looked at her she hadn't seemed to notice his reaction.

"Is this better?" She asked shyly.

"Yes." For long moments they simply looked at each other in silence. The more he studied her features the more he wanted to know. When she looked up into his face he could feel her mind calling to him again. "May I?" He asked if he could read her.

"Of course," She closed her eyes as he put his hands on her temples.

He groaned When M'yri'ah's soft fingers brushed up against his head. As their minds opened to one another and their memories began to flow everything in him begged to take her mind and completely merge with her. He was not some animal however, and even though she was his mate he knew he could control himself. Instead he enjoyed listening to the memories of her life, living them through her eyes. It was nice getting to know her, all the light moments and the dark. They took a break when they felt too tempted to take their connection further.

"You were such a cute boy." M'yri'ah laughed at some of the memories he shared of himself. Some of his fondest memories were of him playing with his brother as a child before they even knew how to speak.

"You like to give your father a hard time." J'onn pointed out. M'yri'ah often played pranks on her family, her father in particular was a constant target. He wondered what drove her to act like that. All her family members were serious from the memories she shared. It wasn't that she was never serious she just seemed to have short bursts of mischievousness.

"Well, of course." M'yri'ah countered. She hadn't thought he would take that away from their exchange. "He is very overprotective so it's difficult not to."

"You do it on purpose though." She was a bit of troublemaker, he could tell.

"I do. I suppose it's just in my nature." She hoped he didn't mind it too much.

"I do not mind M'yri'ah." Even though she hadn't spoken to him through her mind he could hear her clear as day. He was getting better at picking up on her emotions as their bond grew stronger. "I love you as you are."

"Thank you." M'yri'ah felt a sort of warmth move through her at his words. From the way her mother spoke to her, sometimes she felt like she would have to become a different person entirely for anyone to love her. It was nice to feel accepted.

Without thinking about it he ran his hand along the side of her face. When she turned into his touch he took in a sharp breath. The longer he sat next to her the more he felt his instincts trying to take over. His father had warned him about this. He said if he felt this way he should step away from her. He shouldn't touch her and then he would be able to think clearly again.

What happened when he really didn't want to?

Then that feeling came over him again. Damn it. What on earth was it? Whenever they were alone he felt so deeply compelled to do something, but he hadn't figured out what it was. He had noticed it a couple months ago. Sometimes he wished his father was still alive so he could ask him what it meant.

J'onn had been quiet for a long while. "Are you alright J'onn?" M'yri'ah knew he was frustrated from the emotions wafting off of him. Maybe she shouldn't be sitting so close to him. She imagined it was bothering him terribly. She knew how she felt herself. "Would you like me to sit on the other chair again?"

He should tell her to move. He should, but he wasn't going to. "Please stay." J'onn took her hand and he felt a tremor go through him. He then knew what it was that he wanted to do. He wanted to reveal his true form to her. It was such an odd and strong feeling as he looked at her. He had never felt this way with anyone before. He wondered if it would be indecent. That form was such an intimate part of him and he was afraid if he acted on his urges that he would frighten her. He had to know. "Do you feel it too?" He would be embarrassed if it was just him.

M'yri'ah felt herself blush deeply. "Yes." The force of it nearly suffocated her. She felt like her body was on the verge of reverting to her original shape, whether she wanted it to or not ever since she sat by him.

He felt awful suggesting such a thing but it was such a powerful feeling he thought maybe she would understand. "Would you like to?"

M'yri'ah knew she shouldn't. One's private form was something you only revealed to your family. J'onn wasn't her husband yet and she should wait, but she was sure now more than ever that he was her mate. It wasn't just some sexual urge, but something deeper within that drew her to him. It didn't matter if he saw her now or later did it? "Would you think less of me?"

"Of course not," He wasn't sure why she asked since he would be revealing himself too. "Would you like me to go first? If you do not want to change after me you do not have to."

"I…" She felt so nervous agreeing with him to see his body. "Yes, if you don't mind."

J'onn felt relief as he closed his eyes and let his body morph into his true self. Once he opened his eyes he felt so shy. He had never revealed his private form to anyone other than his immediate family before.

"You are very handsome." M'yri'ah was so pleased with him that she felt her fingers twining around on themselves. She took his example and closed her eyes so she wouldn't feel so timid at first, her street clothing and public form fading away to reveal herself.

"And you are beautiful." He didn't feel his words were adequate but she seemed delighted with his compliment.

M'yri'ah liked the sound of his voice when he was in his natural form. It had a sort of reverberating quality to it. "Thank you." Her hands were wound around so tightly by her fingers and her knees were locked together. She suddenly felt so nervous.

"You can change back if you like." J'onn said, startling her, "If you feel too uncomfortable."

"No, it's not that." She willed the tension out of her body. "I want you to see me. I'm just not used to looking like this in front of anyone." Her mother was particularly private about her form and instructed M'yri'ah since she was a young girl never to show herself even in front of her siblings or parents. Their rules on privacy were a little extreme in her household. She would find out later that siblings, parents and children usually did see each other as they truly were.

J'onn felt awful for feeling this way, but now that he saw her, he wanted even more. He wanted her mind and body. What was wrong with him? He thought he would find relief in revealing his true form to her at the very least. Instead his body wanted to march onward until he conquered her. He took a deep breath through his nose and let it out. He needed to calm down.

"What is the matter?" She wondered what was wrong with him. He seemed so agitated.

"Well," He felt he should be honest. "I would like to kiss you."

M'yri'ah couldn't stop the words leaving her mouth. "Then why don't you?" She pressed her lips shut in a hard line when she realized what she said. Oh lord, she must sound like some sort of wanton.

J'onn couldn't even believe the words left her mouth as she said them, and neither could she apparently. Rather than wait for her to agonize over what she said he put his shaking hands on her shoulders and drew her forward. He became keenly aware of the rest of her body then. Their knees were touching and her fingers that had been so tightly woven together were suddenly free and lacing themselves behind his neck. Without really thinking about it he slid his hands down to her hips and pulled her forward until she was flush against him. She whimpered into his mouth at the sudden contact. Her body began trembling against his as her elbows hooked around the back of his neck. He found soon that even kissing her was not enough.

His hands were massaging and pulling her hips in a sort of rhythmic fashion, unconsciously mimicking what he wanted to do with her. He finally gave in and drew her into his lap. Where their bodies touched it felt like it was on fire. Rather than fight him she stifled a moan into his mouth and pressed herself into him. Everything he was doing was such a horrible idea. She wasn't his wife and he shouldn't be touching her this way but every step of the way they progressed his body urged him on.

Her head fell back giving him a better view of her neck. He trailed kisses down her throat, listening to her soft sounds of pleasure. When he got to the crook of her neck he felt a spike of desire surge through him, making him shudder. She smelled so good to him that he felt compelled to run his tongue along that spot just to see if it tasted as sweet as it smelled. He bit her there before he could help himself.

 _"_ _J'onn!"_ When his teeth clamped down on her neck, her eyes widened and she nearly screamed out in shock and pleasure.

His grip tightened on her and his body trembled as he heard his name spoken in his mind. He fought with all he had not to just throw her to the chair and ravage her. _"M'yri'ah."_ He replied to her cry. Their minds begged to merge together and when they stopped fighting it, euphoria fell over them. He knew her then just as he knew himself. He knew from her mind how pleased she was with his touch, and she knew his burning desire for her as if it were her own. He managed to pull himself away from her long enough to push her back against the cushions they had been sitting on.

When her arms wound around his neck, her hand accidentally brushed the back of his head. He felt a shudder coursed through him as she did so, enflaming his desire. He seemed to pause when she touched his head. _"I'm sorry."_ She jerked her hands back against her, embarrassed.

 _"_ _I'm not,"_ He touched the back of her head deliberately, enjoying the startled cry that came out of her throat. He laid claim to her mouth again, letting instinct drive him. Her body, her voice and scent drove him mad with want. His hands were suddenly all over her body, exploring the dips and curves and finding out what pleased her most.

Her gentle hands found him too, running slowly along his chest and stomach as if trying to memorize his shape. Her hands were less frantic than his but they wanted to know every inch of him.

Their bodies were aligned and they were grinding together just at the surface. It would take so little to break the barrier and become one with her. They shouldn't be doing this, but he was a slave to his desires. He tried to find a reason to stop and while there might have been plenty he couldn't find one that suited him. If she would just tell him, he knew he could wait. _"M'yri'ah my love, tell me to stop."_ He begged her, running his fingers again over the back of her head.

M'yri'ah looked up at him. He was over her now, his broad shoulders blotting out the light from overhead. Her body burned at his touch. She didn't know if she could stand it if he stopped now. How could he even ask her to tell him no? _"I don't want you to stop."_ She never wanted anything more in her life.

 _"_ _So be it."_ Their fingers twined together on each hand as he settled himself between her legs.

As far gone as she felt, M'yri'ah began to worry. He had been so frantic up until this point she was afraid he might continue on that path. _"Please be gentle with me."_

 _"_ _I will."_ He wasn't sure how but they managed to look at each other in the eyes as their bodies came together slowly. Their skin fused where they touched. He felt himself poised at her entrance. He waited to see any hesitation on her face, but instead found impatience as she squirmed against him. He gathered her to him as he broke the barrier of her virginity. She bit his neck as she felt him tear through eliciting a moan from him. Now that he was inside he gasped at how tight she felt. He began slowly rocking forward and back until her body opened for him.

M'yri'ah felt her body winding around him, her legs, her arms clutched him to her. It hadn't hurt as much as she thought it would. He was so patient and gentle, stretching her until they fit together. _"Oh, J'onn."_ Her head fell back, he felt so good inside.

J'onn nipped at her neck before biting down again, holding her in place while he pumped into her. He kept feeling the edge of something within her mind. When he went deep it sent a shock of pleasure in her. He released her hands and pushed her trembling knees back further, reaching even deeper still. Each time he buried himself all the way inside she let out a sobbing cry.

All the while in the background, the link between their minds was running rampant. At times pleasant and peaceful feelings flowed but primal desires tore through often shocking them forward.

Finally it was there. He felt her legs squeezing around his hips. He released his hold on her knees and they both held each other close as they came together. Her head snapped to the side and she let out a gasp as a tremor ran through her body. When the crest came he let out a groan. _"M'yri'ah."_ He felt like he had been wrung out when it was over. He kissed her one final time. He had never been as sure of himself as he was now. She was his. _"I love you."_

When he said those words, she felt so happy she didn't know if she could stand it. _"I love you too."_

J'onn withdrew himself from her reluctantly. He wanted to remain within her longer but he couldn't imagine having him leaning over her like he was, was very comfortable for her. Still, he hadn't wanted to go too far from her yet and let his head rest against her breast so he could hear the sound of her heart beating. He let most of his weight rest on his elbows so he didn't crush her. She absently stroked his head, feeling quite contented. Now that his desire for her had been quenched somewhat he was able to think again. "I am sorry M'yri'ah." He apologized; embarrassed that he had let himself lose control like that, "I only meant to show you the house."

M'yri'ah let out a peal of laughter. "Don't be sorry."

He laughed a little himself. It seemed rather silly to regret not waiting now. "I cannot believe I did that."

"I can't either." M'yri'ah admitted. "I never felt this way before."

"Me either." He lifted himself off of her reluctantly. Not wanting to let her go just yet he held her close as they sat down next to one another. He saw her neck was purple and red where he bit her. He touched that spot gingerly, worried he might have broken the skin. His teeth were sharp in his true form and he hadn't been paying attention to what he was doing. "I am sorry."

He was full of apologies today. "Don't be." She shivered as he placed a gentle kiss on her neck. "You didn't hurt me, it felt nice."

He then kissed her lips. If he thought they had the time he would love to make her his again. "I wish you did not have to leave."

"I may have a little time left." M'yri'ah looked at the clock hanging on the wall.

"Did you have somewhere you needed to be M'yri'ah?" J'onn asked.

"Oh." This was rather embarrassing. She should probably tell J'onn before he found out. "Actually, my family doesn't know I'm with you or even out. I'm supposed to be with my older sister, spending the day with her at her house." She hurried on. "She is covering for me today."

J'onn blinked at her. "What?"

M'yri'ah realized how childish she was about to sound. It was so silly. She was an adult. She should be able to see J'onn if she wanted to without there being so many repercussions. "I didn't want my father to send an escort or tell me no."

"So you lied?"

"Yes?" Her answer sounded like a question.

"M'yri'ah." He admonished.

"It probably worked out for the best." M'yri'ah reasoned. "I imagine if my father knew I was here he would be sending out a search party by now."

J'onn couldn't help but think she might be exaggerating. He knew some families were formal but hers seemed to be a little extreme.

M'yri'ah could sense his thoughts on the matter. "You don't know my father J'onn. I love him dearly but he is a bit much. It's like he lives in the dark ages." Then she thought about where they would go from here. "What should we do now?"

"I will speak to my mother about our marriage." J'onn said simply. He would normally speak to his own father, but he was gone. "And you will speak to your father." It was a custom to speak to one's parents first. Then their parents could speak together about their marriage. It helped avoid awkward denials.

"I hope it's as easy as you make it sound."

Rather than dwell on her father any longer J'onn steered the conversation away to something more pleasant. "When do you need to return home?"

"Before night fall." She was sure they still had a few hours left.

He was wondering now why he ever felt bad about being with her in the first place. He loved her and soon she would be his wife. It didn't matter whether they made love before or after their marriage. "Oh well. We still have plenty of time. I could show you around the house."

M'yri'ah gave him a look, wondering what he was about. "I think you already did."

"I do not think I showed you our bedroom." There was no inflection in his voice, it sounded as if he was merely stating a fact.

"Oh." She thought on it and then realized. "Oh! So you didn't." She laughed as he scooped her up off the couch and took her up the stairs.

* * *

 **Author's notes: It's so fun to write about J'onn being so young and shy. I hope I am able to keep him in character. I keep looking at the things he says and I know he's a little younger but I didn't want to make him sound like a completely different person. Hopefully I'm getting it right.**

 **In the comics I know the Martians houses look like pyramids but I always think of J'onn's house as he remembered it in the Justice League cartoon. Since the Crisis movie also showed the same sort of housing I just decided to keep them the way I have them.**


	5. Chapter 5

J'onn came upon his mother's house. He saw his brother Ma'alefa'ak leaning against the entryway beside the door. It was like the man thrived on loitering everywhere he went. Why didn't he just go inside?

"Oh thank goodness you're here." Ma'alefa'ak sighed. "I thought I was going to have to go in alone."

"Yes, I'm here." J'onn was grinning from ear to ear. It was so unlike him. "Are you ready to go in?"

"I suppose." Ma'alefa'ak said slowly, looking at him. He didn't really want to go inside but he supposed the sooner he went in the sooner he could leave. There was no point in delaying the inevitable any longer than he already had. "Did something happen to you today?"

"No." J'onn took the lead and opened the door to their childhood home. "Good afternoon mother." He called. When he spotted her, Sha'sheen wasn't far from the door.

"Mother." Ma'alefa'ak tried to keep the venom out of his voice but failed spectacularly.

"Sorry boys." She apologized, looking like she was about to walk out the door just as they arrived. "I burned dinner. I'll be getting something out and returning. You know your father was the cook. I won't be but a minute."

"Yes he was." Ma'alefa'ak couldn't help but wish again that she had died instead. He missed his father terribly. It wasn't fair that they had to be stuck with this horrible woman. After she left the house he felt immediately better. Now he just needed to find something out. "I've been meaning to ask, how is your new house?"

"It's been nice being out on my own. I just spent the day there actually." J'onn admitted, letting out a heavy sigh. "You were right. It was time."

"You see? It's nice to be out from under mother's clutches." Even though his mother loved his brother very much Ma'alefa'ak knew her constant meddling was enough to drive even J'onn crazy at times.

He would have never been able to have M'yri'ah today if he hadn't moved out. It was something to be thankful for. "I'll admit it's nice."

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" Ma'alefa'ak drummed his fingers across the table impatiently.

"What?" J'onn wondered if Ma'alefa'ak could tell what he did. The way he was studying him he began to wonder. "Nothing happened."

"You look different." His brother was grinning just as widely as he had earlier. "Something had to happen. Want to tell me what it was while mother is out?"

"No." J'onn looked away guiltily.

J'onn was embarrassed about something. "You were with M'yri'ah weren't you?" Ma'alefa'ak guessed. It had to be M'yri'ah. She was the only thing that got his brother flustered. "Did you take her to your home?"

J'onn took in a sharp breath. "How did you know?"

"You just told me." He laughed heartily.

He tricked him! J'onn grumbled at him and looked away.

"I'm kidding with you. I knew something was up anyway." Ma'alefa'ak was still drumming his fingers along the table with a sort of nervous energy. "There is gossip that she snuck off to see you the other day and you may have done something… indecent?"

"Nothing happened the other day." J'onn wondered where he heard that from.

"So you did something indecent today?" J'onn looked positively ashamed of himself so he knew it was true. Ma'alefa'ak knew how to push his brother's buttons to find out exactly what he wanted. "Well well… little J'onn has lost his innocence. What will mother do when she finds out?"

"She will not find out." J'onn hissed.

"When she finds out what?" Sha'sheen walked in just in time to hear her twin sons speaking conspiratorially together. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." J'onn lied, rather badly.

Ma'alefa'ak was more than happy to offer up the information. "J'onn here has finally become a man."

It took Sha'sheen a moment to process her son's innuendo. She looked at J'onn with wide eyes. "Did you?"

J'onn's silence was enough to tell her it was true.

Sha'sheen practically threw the food she brought in on the table in front of her two sons. "J'onn!" She shouted at him. Her youngest twin son looked quite happy he wasn't the one being yelled at for once. "What did you do? Was it with that M'yri'ah girl?"

"Yes, it is M'yri'ah. We are getting married." J'onn defended. He didn't know what the fuss was about. "I was going to speak about it with you tonight."

"You hardly know her." Sha'sheen was so frustrated with him.

"Oh, it sounds like he does." Ma'alefa'ak teased. "Biblically."

"Leave your brother alone." Sha'sheen quieted Ma'alefa'ak. "He is ashamed of himself enough as is."

"I am not really ashamed at all." J'onn puffed. Why should he act like he had done something wrong?

"Well you should be." Sha'sheen admonished.

"Are you going to speak to her father for me or not?" J'onn couldn't keep the irritation out of his voice. It was annoying having his mother speak to him like a child.

"I may have to soon whether I want to or not." Sha'sheen couldn't believe him. He could get her pregnant and if he did she was sure M'yri'ah's father would kill him. "I'll wait a few days before I speak with him. I don't think I can look him in the eye."

"Isn't it nice to come clean about deflowering your girlfriend J'onn?" Ma'alefa'ak asked, laughing all the while.

"Shut your mouth Ma'alefa'ak." J'onn was so angry with him he hardly knew what to do with himself. "This goes not further than this room or I shall know it was you." He didn't care what others thought of him but he didn't want his brother going around and making M'yri'ah sound cheap.

"Well," Ma'alefa'ak laughed. "If that's the way you feel."

"It is." J'onn was getting up to leave. He didn't think he could sit with his brother any longer tonight.

"Sit down." His mother commanded him. "I just bought dinner and I'm not eating it by myself."

Ma'alefa'ak noted that J'onn hesitated when their mother spoke and couldn't help but taunt him. "Yes, sit down like a good little dog for mother."

J'onn hit the table hard enough to make the silverware rattle on the surface. Ma'alefa'ak stopped taping his fingers and stared at J'onn in stunned silence. He had never seen his brother get that mad before. He meant to make him angry yes, but he just hadn't expected such an explosion of emotion from him. All over a woman too! He'd have to remember that if he ever wanted to pester him.

"J'onn! What is the matter with you?" Sha'sheen couldn't believe the way he was acting.

"I need some air." J'onn decided to leave after all.

"J'onn?" Sha'sheen followed after him, leaving Ma'alefa'ak in the dining room. "It's not like you to get so upset. What is the matter?" She followed him right out the door into the courtyard.

"Neither you nor Ma'alefa'ak will take me seriously." Even his father had teased him about it. "It is as if my relationship with M'yri'ah is some sort of joke to you."

"It's not that I think it's a joke." Sha'sheen hadn't really been supportive tonight, but she had just gotten a shock of her life. She couldn't believe her son would do such a thing before marriage. He had always planned on waiting so he caught her off guard. That and he and M'yri'ah hadn't known each other long at all. "But you are still a young man. We live a very long time. I don't understand why you are in such a rush. You have plenty of time to get married to M'yri'ah."

J'onn figured he was an adult with a job and a home. How long should he be required to wait to marry the woman he loved? "So because I live long I should wait?"

"Well, no." She hadn't meant it that way.

"Mother, I work as a Manhunter," It was a dangerous job, "and after what happened on Apokolips I know that everything can end quickly. I just want to spend as much time with her as I can."

"Are you afraid of dying J'onn?" She wondered if his father's death had affected him more than he let on. "Is this what this rush is for?"

"No," He really wasn't worried, otherwise he wouldn't have chosen the profession he was in. "I just know that I want to be with her and I don't want to regret wasting time I could have spent with her simply because I can."

"Okay." Sha'sheen put her arms up in defeat. He could do what he wanted. It wasn't her decision to make after all. "I'm sorry J'onn. I will speak with D'all for you. I'll try to contact him tomorrow. Will that be alright?"

Finally the sarcasm was out of her voice so he was able to relax. "Yes, thank you."

"Please come back inside." Sha'sheen gestured at the door. "You boys eat so much. I can't really finish your portion if you leave."

J'onn looked at his old home. He really didn't want to go inside. His brother was still there, probably long since recovered from his outburst and waiting for him to return so he could pester him some more for details. He had already been edging around his mind like some sort of pervert trying to catch glimpses of memory, hoping J'onn wouldn't notice. He wasn't sure why he was doing that, other than maybe he was trying to live vicariously through him.

"Please, your brother hates me and I'm not a big fan of him either." Sha'sheen was actually starting to get worried about him. Ma'alefa'ak was acting more and more aggravated when they were alone together. She hoped by spending some time with him they might connect in some way as mother and son but he wasn't having any of it. He harbored so much resentment towards her and she could hardly blame him, but his thoughts were turning towards such hatred and violence she was beginning to feel unsafe with him. Still, she didn't want to give up on him. She hoped if they kept having dinners together, maybe they would be able to come together again.

Sensing his mother's thoughts on the matter J'onn sighed. "I will stay." Maybe if he ate quickly he could leave together with Ma'alefa'ak without him prying any more than he already had tonight.

"Thank you J'onn." Sha'sheen followed her son back into the house.

* * *

J'onn stared up at the ceiling in his room. A day went by, and then another and then another. J'onn still hadn't heard back from M'yri'ah and his mother couldn't seem to get D'all to come to his door or answer her summons. He felt M'yri'ah's sadness at being parted from him through their link together but otherwise she was fine. He wondered if she was ever able to talk to her father. His thoughts on the matter were that she had, but it hadn't gone well. Still, her father wasn't keeping her prisoner was he? Brushing such silly thoughts from his mind he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

J'onn heard the door chime a few hours later. What in the world? When he looked at the time he couldn't believe how late it was. Who would be at the door at this hour? When he felt M'yri'ah nearby he woke up completely and swung his legs out of bed. He ran down the stairs and slid the door open.

"J'onn." M'yri'ah whispered, standing on his steps looking so happy to see him.

"M'yri'ah." He stepped aside, letting her in and closing the door quickly behind her. As soon as he shut the door they became their true selves. He knew it probably wasn't decent for them to show themselves to each other over and over again before they were married but part of him didn't care. He knew he was already married to her in his heart. He took her small frame into his arms and kissed her. She answered him back shyly. "What did your father say?"

"Well," M'yri'ah sighed. J'onn could tell by the look on her face that things hadn't gone well with her father or mother. "he said no." It wasn't fair. While they hadn't known each other very long she knew that J'onn was meant to be her mate. What's more he accepted her the way she was and not for who she could be. She didn't want to marry the man her father picked out for her. D'all had made her meet him this morning. He was so much older and thought very differently than she did.

"I see." J'onn tried not to sound disappointed.

"My father wasn't very happy with my request." She admitted. "He said he doesn't think you will be a good provider for me." J'onn's family was in a slightly lower class than her own, but that really wasn't really what bothered her father. Her own mother had been in the same group J'onn's parents were. Also being a Manhunter was a noble profession. Class was just another excuse to add onto a steadily growing pile of reasons her father didn't want them to be together. Mostly his rejection had to do with J'onn's brother. "And your twin..." She couldn't finish. How did she explain that to J'onn without insulting him? Ma'alefa'ak had such an awful name and his mother chose it for him. Ma'alefa'ak also unfortunately grew into his name. Her father thought the family quite insane and didn't want his daughter to have anything to do with them. "He says he won't even speak to your mother."

J'onn wondered if she agreed with her father. "What do you think?"

"What I think? Well I know that I want to be with you." She said very certainly. "I know you are a very hard worker. I also don't care about your brother's name or if he's a scoundrel or not. I'm marrying you, not him."

J'onn felt more confident now. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. "Maybe my mother can speak with your father anyway. She can be persistent when she wants to be." And if all else failed he would make an attempt even though it wasn't the normal way of doing things. "She had her reasons for my brother's name." Even after she told him he still didn't agree with her decision. He thought he would voice his opinion to M'yri'ah. "I also don't think it was a good idea to name him what she did." It made his brother unmarriageable for sure and insured he would be treated differently his whole life. He had once been such a sweet child, but he had grown up to be a bitter man. "Maybe she can convince him to let me marry you."

"I won't tell you no." M'yri'ah looked worried. She wished J'onn's father was still alive. The father was very traditional and she didn't know how he would react to having J'onn's mother try to broker a marriage agreement. "I hope she can talk some sense into him." She watched as J'onn's form shifted into a less intimate shape, like the one he used when he was at work. Her heart sank. He was closing himself off from her. "J'onn?"

He hated to say this. "Maybe you and I should not see each other until this is cleared up."

"Oh?" After their conversation it was silly to have such doubts, but his actions had her worried. Was he going to let her go? M'yri'ah remained the way she was. She didn't want to change back into her street clothing in front of the man she loved. "But why?"

"I am not giving up M'yri'ah." J'onn told her. He didn't want her to think he was quitting. "I just want to do this right if we can." They had already broken several rules already and if her father was so against them marrying right now, J'onn didn't want to upset him further by seeming indecent to his daughter. "Maybe you should go home."

M'yri'ah felt her heart breaking. She had only just arrived and didn't know when she would get to see him again. "I don't want to go."

"I do not want you to go either." He admitted. "But you should."

She held back her tears and swallowed hard. "Would you hold me again before I go?"

J'onn smiled at her request and held her tightly against him. He was sure things would work out. "You will be back before you know it." He tried to sound positive. He moved away from her and took her hand. "I should probably walk you home."

M'yri'ah silently hoped he was right. She reluctantly donned her public form as he took her from his home to deliver her back to her father.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry about the "biblically" joke Ma'alefa'ak told. I thought it was perfect timing and I couldn't help myself. I couldn't think of a better line to put in but maybe I'll think of something so it doesn't look so weird coming from a Martian.**

 **It's fun writing a drama. I usually just write about really awful things happening to people so it's a nice change of pace. I hope I don't go too crazy though. Please feel free to tell me if you love it or hate it – I always like hearing what people like or dislike about my writing. It helps me get better.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: This chapter contains sexual content.**

* * *

It took weeks for Sha'sheen to finally sit down with D'all. He simply refused to meet with her at first but he finally did so she would stop showing up at his gate unannounced. Things hadn't gone well at all. After they had their shouting match Sha'sheen had left in a huff. She couldn't believe the insulting words D'all used to speak about her precious son. The very same man who saved his daughters' lives no less!

Sha'sheen entered her home she once shared with M'yrnn. How she missed him now that he was gone. It was so quiet. She thought she would miss his singing the most. He had such a beautiful voice. She hadn't really noticed it until he was gone but J'onn and Ma'alefa'ak looked so much like him it was uncanny. They were her last link to him in this world.

She took in a deep breath and stepped into the living area. There was J'onn sitting in the room alone, when she entered he stood up hoping to hear some good news.

"I'm so sorry J'onn." Sha'sheen said, not wanting to mince words. "M'yri'ah's father isn't agreeable to you getting married. He had already picked out a husband for her long before M'yri'ah asked him about you." She left out the other parts were D'all told her what he thought of her family. He thought she was a lunatic and probably raised her children to be no different. "He said he won't change his mind. He thinks it would be best if you don't see each other anymore." And she had to agree with him. Their union would only bring them misery if her father was so against them being together. "He also made it clear to M'yri'ah while I was there that he would disown her if she tried to marry you against his wishes." That had been an uncomfortable conversation as well.

"Thank you for trying mother." J'onn said in his even tone, but she could see in his eyes and heart the hurt he felt.

"J'onn…" She tried to embrace him to comfort him but he wasn't having it. He didn't want to be touched right now.

"Can I sit here for a while?" J'onn asked.

"Yes, of course." Sha'sheen watched as J'onn went into the dining room and sat at the family table. He was fiddling with a spice shaker and trying to get ahold of himself before he went to work for the day. His broad shoulders were lowered in disappointment. She sometimes hated herself for what she did in naming Ma'alefa'ak. She knew she was right, she knew her vision was true, but she hadn't meant for it to turn out the way it did. She thought it would be a warning. She thought it would help keep Ma'alefa'ak on the right path. Instead both of her sons were so miserable.

Ma'alefa'ak hadn't had luck with women due to his sullen nature. J'onn hadn't fared much better. He had an interest in girls growing up, but he was so studious and formal that sometimes girls didn't know what to do with him. Then once they found out about his brother they seemed to lose interest. He was still young but his lack of prospects had made him disheartened. Now J'onn was in love with a woman he could not have and Sha'sheen feared he was going to do something desperate.

"Thank you." He stood up, seeming to have pulled himself together. "I shall see you next week."

"You won't be coming home for supper tonight after work?" She knew her boys were grown up but they almost always had supper together on the weekends.

"No." He really didn't feel like it. "I think I would just stay at my home today."

Shasheen cringed thinking how lost her son felt. He was going back to that big empty house. When he had gotten it he had showed it to her and M'yrnn. Even as a young man he had planned on having a large family someday. She teased him asking if he didn't want to ask his wife first when he got married if she wanted so many children. Now he was wondering if he would even have a wife. "J'onn." Sha'sheen stopped him. "This isn't the end you know? You will find someone else."

"She is my mate." J'onn said finally, angry with her for talking to him about it. He had just gotten his emotions under control. "There is no one else."

* * *

In the weeks that followed D'all had made it official. He had spread the word that he was marrying his daughter off to his old friend. He even went so far as to send J'onn himself an announcement of M'yri'ah's upcoming marriage to another man. What's more, J'onn noticed some of the Manhunters in his group had been given letters as well. D'all's way of shaming him he supposed or maybe to keep him in check. If others knew about M'yri'ah's marriage around his office then she couldn't sneak to see him there. Martians, whether traditional or more liberal minded didn't look fondly on adulterers.

When J'onn arrived home he sat at his table for a while and looked at the announcement again to let it sink in. The letters began waver as he felt hot tears threatening to spill out from his eyes. He blinked rapidly, willing himself to calm down. Soon she would be someone else's and he could barely stand it. His heart ached for her but what could he do? Asking her to defy her father's wishes would be like asking her give up her family. He simply couldn't do that to her, no matter how much he wanted her.

J'onn felt so conflicted about what they had done together. He had promised himself to her. Promised he would marry her and she had given herself to him based on that promise. Now he couldn't keep it and he felt like a liar. He shouldn't have made love to her. He shouldn't have merged himself with her. Now that he knew her it was so hard to let go. But the thought of never knowing her hurt him just as much.

When he heard a knock on his door he was sure it was his mother coming to ask him to dinner again. He wished she would just leave him in peace and give him a little while to recuperate on his own. He slid the door open. "Yes?"

"Hello J'onn." It was M'yri'ah. She had snuck out to see him and he was so drowned in misery that he hadn't noticed her making her way to him. "Oh my love, I missed you so much." He tried to block her entrance but she slipped past him.

"M'yri'ah," He chastised. Was she coming here simply to torture him? When he shut the door she changed to her true form. "You should not show yourself to me." J'onn looked away. "You are not mine anymore."

She felt hurt by his rejection. "But I am." She tried to touch him but he moved away.

"Please do not do this." He couldn't stand to see the hurt on her beautiful face but he also couldn't give in to his desires to go to her. "It is difficult enough when you are not here to try to let you go."

His words cut into her like a knife. "I don't want you to let me go."

It was hard for him to do the right thing with her looking at him the way she was. "You need to go home." He was about to show her the door.

"Please don't do this to me." She backed further into his house when she thought he might make her go back home. "Please don't make me leave." Her voice had a watery quality to it. "We belong together."

"Your father does not seem to think so." J'onn sighed at her persistence. "You know what it would mean if you married me anyway."

D'all had threatened her more than once to disown her. "I don't care about that."

"You would care." J'onn looked at her seriously, thinking she didn't know what she was saying. He knew she loved her family. She loved her sister enough to risk her own life. She wouldn't want to be separated from her forever.

M'yri'ah opened her mouth to refute what he said but snapped it shut. She couldn't lie, she would care. However, she thought if it meant she could be with him then it would be worth it. "It's awful J'onn. I've begged him to let me marry you. I don't know what else to do."

"He sent the letters out." J'onn informed her. "He even sent me one."

"Yes I know. He thinks by doing that I'll be too embarrassed to back out." M'yri'ah's voice was bitter. She knew D'all also sent it to discourage J'onn and she could see he succeeded. She would love to show her father how wrong he was. "I can't think of something to get out of this, but I thought maybe you had?" She hoped he hadn't already given up on her completely since she had already made a decision at this point. No matter what, she was not going to marry the man her father chose. She didn't even care if J'onn didn't want her anymore. She simply couldn't give herself to anyone else.

J'onn had thought of something. Actually, he had thought of many ways for them to be together. Every last one of them crazier than the last and all of them would guarantee her father disowning her and shaming her. But there was one idea he had that was more foolish than all the others but one he knew would work best. It would force D'all to give her to J'onn and she couldn't be disowned without D'all losing face, but it wouldn't be perfect. It would still cause their parents and themselves a great deal of embarrassment but it would mean they could be together. "You are getting married in three months." He said slowly.

She looked down to the floor. "Yes."

"If..." He didn't know if he could even bring himself to say it.

An inkling of hope filled her heart. She could feel from J'onn's thoughts that he had thought of something that might work. "If?"

He almost felt as sneaky as his brother coming up with such an insane plan. It was so against everything he believed in but if it meant he could have M'yri'ah he felt it would be worth it. "What if there was something we could do so your father would have no choice but to give you to me?"

M'yri'ah thought about it for a moment. She thought he might mean they could tell her father that they had already made love, but it wasn't unheard of for a bride to not retain her virginity. Even if her fiancé decided to call it off and her father couldn't give her to her to him, he might be able to find another suitor. J'onn must mean... "J'onn!" She could hardly believe he would suggest such a thing.

He offered her a shadow of a smile. "Would it be so awful to have a baby with me?"

"Well, no." She just hadn't expected for them to consider it for them to get married. It did make sense though. She hadn't really been paying attention to her cycles recently so she had no idea when she would be receptive. It was all so dishonest to do this but what choice did she have?

J'onn knew it was too crazy to consider. She had looked so horrified. "Forget I said it." What in the world was the matter with him? He should be able to let her go. He shouldn't dishonor himself, M'yri'ah or their families by doing this. He should let go, but there was another part of him that would fight tooth and nail to keep her at any cost. And that very same part of him felt like it would be a dishonor against her to not at least try to fight for her, especially if she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"No." She didn't want him to think she didn't want to go along with his plan. "I want to have your children. I just didn't expect you to suggest it so early."

"I did not expect us to have such a difficult time getting married." He countered.

"Me either." Her shoulders sagged under the weight she felt.

J'onn frowned at how defeated she looked. It shouldn't have been this hard. They should have been able to get married without all this fuss. "I just wish he would change his mind without us having to resort to this."

"My father won't J'onn. He's not going to going to change his mind. I don't want to marry another man and only think of you while I'm with him."

"M'yri'ah." He admonished, "what an awful thing to say." Look who was talking?

M'yri'ah went to him, and this time he didn't try to step away from her. Even when she was afraid or stressed, if he just held her in his arms she felt such contentment. She felt so safe.

He ran his hand along the back of her head and she shuddered. _"Are you sure you want to do this?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_ She spoke to him in his mind, just as he had. _"I know what I want."_

 _"_ _M'yri'ah…"_ His voice was cautious.

 _"_ _Don't you want me?"_ She asked shyly.

He didn't think he could ever want anyone as much as her. _"You know I do."_

At least that hadn't changed. She moved away from him just enough to stroke his face with her hand and draw him down to her. _"Then give me your baby."_ She pressed her lips into his.

Her words excited him and he could hardly wait to have her. He changed into his true form and kissed her. Now that he knew what they were about to do he was so nervous. The only thing that made him feel better was that she was trembling just as much as he was. _"Are you afraid?"_

 _"_ _Yes."_ She answered honestly.

 _"_ _I can stop."_ He told her. _"We do not have to do this."_ He wanted to give her every opportunity to back out. He didn't want her to feel forced into it.

 _"_ _I don't want you to stop."_

Just like she said before. _"Then take my hand."_ She did and he led her up the stairs to their bedroom. The door was open so they just walked through. They stopped just inside and he kissed her again, slowly. _"I love you M'yri'ah, more than anything else."_

 _"_ _I love you too J'onn."_

 _"_ _I wish it did not have to be this way."_ He wished he wasn't making love to her to steal her away from someone else. He wished it was just for fun, and to show each other how much they loved each other like it should be.

 _"_ _I know."_ She told him. _"But I don't mind. I want to start a family with you."_ She was trying to put him at ease. _"I'm doing this because I want to."_

He took her to their bed and sat with her. He looked at her for a long moment. _"I missed you."_ It started out slowly, with a kiss and then another and another.

She ran her hand along the back of his head and he leaned into it. _"And I missed you."_ As they kissed and touched each other she sighed in contentment. How many nights had she woken up from her dreams of being with J'onn like this? Only wishing she had the courage to go to him. She found herself in his lap again, her legs on either side of his hips. Just as before, their lovemaking became frantic. _"Please J'onn, I need you_."

He didn't need to be asked again. He gathered up and pushed through. Now that he was inside of her again he felt such relief. It was painful to fight being her mate. As they moved together they almost became one person, falling into one another over and over. She was able to separate herself enough from him to push him back onto the bed. _"M'yri'ah?"_

Wordlessly she began moving over him, balancing herself with her hands on his chest. She experimented lifting herself up. "Oh." He was so deep.

He loved watching her over him. He got such a good view of her body. After a while she was trembling like she had during their first time, using muscles to the point of exhaustion that she hadn't before. He took hold of her hips and helped her move on him. As he brought her forward he pushed his hips up.

Soon they felt they weren't close enough so she rested against him, sighing as more of their skin fused together. Down below they were joined so intimately, moving together slowly, slowly and then finally it came. Her eyes went wide and she closed them just as quickly. J'onn wasn't far behind her, releasing himself into her.

M'yri'ah's head rested on his shoulder, panting in the aftermath of their lovemaking. What would he give to have her lay with him every night just like this? The last few weeks he had felt such despair. He wouldn't have believed this morning that she would be with him again.

When her breathing regulated she let out a sigh and stroked the side of his face. "I love you J'onn."

"I love you too M'yri'ah." J'onn pulled her into him until her head rested in the well of his neck. He had wanted her so desperately and now that he had her he wasn't sure how he was going to let her leave to go back home, but he knew he must.

She felt sleepy being so close to him like this. "I want to come back tomorrow." She yawned.

J'onn's lids were growing heavy. He generally woke up early in the morning and he hadn't gotten much sleep the day before or the last few weeks even. "You think you can sneak away again?" She was awfully confident.

"I'll do my best." She giggled. "I love the way you feel." She stroked the skin on his back, causing him to shudder. "I don't want to leave yet."

"Then don't." J'onn wasn't in any hurry for her to go either. "I want to hold you for a little while longer anyway. Then I'll walk you home." He closed his eyes.

She knew she shouldn't have stayed in bed with him, he was far too warm and inviting but she did and then she fell asleep.

* * *

M'yri'ah heard a soft melodic sound coming from the left of her. That didn't sound like her alarm at all and it was coming from the wrong direction.

"M'yri'ah?" J'onn's startled voice rang out above her.

Her eyes shot open, she was still tangled up in J'onn's arms. She jumped up and looked around. "Oh no." Wait… it was still dark outside. What time was it?

J'onn laughed softly at how startled she looked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I have an early shift this morning." His job kept him working odd hours.

M'yri'ah practically deflated against the bed, relieved. Her parents wouldn't be awake for another few hours. She covered her face. How stupid this was, she had to sneak around like an adolescent. God knows what her father would have done if she really had overslept and he caught her. Probably lock her in her room for the rest of her days.

"M'yri'ah." J'onn laughed at the thoughts that ran through her mind. "He cannot keep you prisoner."

She peaked at him between her fingers. "Then you don't know my father."

J'onn finally turned off the alarm when he sat up. "Let us get ready. I will walk you home before I go to work." It was on the way conveniently enough.

"Maybe I could make us breakfast."

He thought maybe they should just leave so she wouldn't be caught or seen, but he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before she left. "I will not tell you no."


End file.
